The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kathy Steele

Bay area transportation talk gets a reboot

By

State highway officials kicked off a regional discussion on the future of transportation in Tampa Bay with more than 100 people from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, Polk and Pasco counties.

The initial workshop for what is dubbed, Tampa Bay Next, was at the Bryan Glazer Jewish Community Center in Tampa on May 24.

During the next two years, the Florida Department of Transportation will schedule more workshops, meetings and community outreach events in all areas of the region to get input on how to solve gridlock on the area’s highways.

Jonathon Massie, business illustrator with Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College, drew a cartoon illustration to reflect the consensus of people who attended a workshop on transportation in the Tampa Bay region.
(Kathy Steele)

By late 2019, state transportation officials expect to present the details of a new road project that will replace the controversial Tampa Bay Express, or TBX.

That project called for nearly 90 miles of new toll lanes on Interstate 275 from St. Petersburg to Wesley Chapel, and along Interstate 4 to Plant City and south on Interstate 75 to Manatee County.

The TBX project met with strong resistance from residents of neighborhoods in and around downtown Tampa.

Pasco County’s elected officials and chambers of commerce, however, strongly supported the TBX as a relief to traffic congestion and a potential impetus for future economic growth.

Tampa Bay Next, at least initially, will deal with expectations, not details.

“We’re going to focus on our ideal vision,” said Andrea Henning, executive director of Collaborative Labs at St. Petersburg College. “Tonight is more about listening.”

The company will facilitate community work sessions for the state transportation department in efforts to reach consensus on what Tampa Bay Next will bring to the table.

Six working groups will focus on local issues.

Those groups will cover Pasco/Hernando counties; North and West Hillsborough County; Downtown/East Tampa; Westshore/West Tampa/South Tampa; Pinellas County; and East Hillsborough/ Polk County.

Participants broke out into 20 discussion groups that reported back with broad-stroke views on the area’s future transportation needs, and wants.

Suggestions included:

  • Integrated multi-modal system
  • Connect people to jobs
  • Reliable trip times
  • Complete streets
  • Automated, connected and electric vehicle systems
  • Better bicycle mobility
  • Urban freeway removal
  • Ensuring that communities are not broken apart

One woman put in a plug for her pet peeve: She wants all bus stops to come with shaded cover.

Others spoke about a “sense of urgency” in coming up with answers.

There were also skeptics who don’t trust the state transportation department, in light of the battle over TBX.

“We need to work together,” said Danielle Moran, public involvement manager with HNTB Corporation, which is consulting with the Tampa Bay Next. But, she added, “We know it’s going to take time to build trust.”

She got a round of boos when she brought up toll lanes.

“Express lanes are one of the options on the table,” Moran said. “We’re happy to talk with you about other options.”

A second breakout session focused on four issues: safety, multi-model choices, technology and funding/policy.

Participants later voted electronically for their top priorities in each category, choosing from a list of 10 options.

Priorities included:

  • Designing streets to focus on people’s safety, not vehicles
  • Connecting major regional activity centers
  • Leveraging existing assets and infrastructure
  • Re-prioritizing $6 billion of TBX funds for community priorities

Future workshops will begin to drill down on what local communities envision for transportation.

Moran said there appeared to be at least an early consensus for an integrated, complete transportation system.

“The difficulty is how do we get there,” she said.

For information on Tampa Bay Next including the working groups and community outreach events, visit TampaBayNext.com.

Published June 6, 2017

Pasco looks to lift residential parking rule

By

The Pasco County Commission is looking to get rid of a parking restriction that has posed a problem in neighborhoods.

Under its current rules, people parking on the street in residential communities need to have a permit, or they can be cited.

The rule likely isn’t common knowledge to many residents, and appears to be headed toward its demise.

Commissioners have asked the county’s planning and development department to draft an ordinance to eliminate the requirement for residential parking permits on local, county-maintained streets. Parking, however, would be restricted to one side of a street.

Parking on arterial or collector roads would remain illegal. And, private communities with private streets could continue to set their own standards.

Commission Chairman Mike Moore brought the issue to commissioners at their May 23 meeting in New Port Richey.

He said he had received a complaint from a Land O’ Lakes’ resident whose daughter was cited for on-street parking while she was home during the Christmas holiday.

Commissioner Mike Wells said he also has heard similar complaints.

Kris Hughes, the county’s director of planning and development, said parking permits also become an issue for residents during road-paving projects.

“We have multiple examples of the problem,” Hughes said.

Current code requires that residents pay $30 for a parking permit, with the permits limited to four days a year.

There are no restrictions on the number of vehicles that can be included in the permit.

Depending on circumstances, fines for violations generally are $15 and $35. However, fines can be as high as $250, plus community service, if the illegal parking creates a public hazard.

While waiting for an ordinance to end the residential parking permits, county commissioners took an interim step.

They administratively agreed to increase the residential permits from four days to 365 days a year.

About 300 permits are issued annually, with the county collecting more than $10,500 in revenues, Hughes said.

In 2016, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office issued nearly 2,300 citations for all parking violations, generating about $280,000 in revenues. About 43 percent of citations, and about 90 percent of the revenues, were for illegally parking in spots reserved for disabled persons.

About 33 percent of citations, and less than 6 percent in revenues, were for parking on local, subdivision streets without a permit.

Moore said the issue is about helping residents, not collecting more revenues.

Initially, Moore suggested increasing the number of permit days to as many as 12.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey went bigger — much bigger.

She suggested a 365-day permit.

“I never knew there was such a thing as a four-day permit,” Starkey said.

Pasco County Attorney Jeffrey Steinsnyder said the permits were instituted years ago as a way of controlling parking within residential developments. Many have narrow streets, making it impossible for emergency vehicles to gain access if vehicles were parked on both sides of the street.

“Rather than require larger streets, we started this concept of prohibiting parking within subdivisions,” the attorney explained. “When people have parties they don’t have enough room in their driveways so we started issuing permits.”
Commissioners, however, appear to think this is one rule the county no longer needs.

“One less regulatory thing is a good thing,” Wells said.

Published June 6, 2017

Business Digest 06/07/2017

By

Del Webb builds at Bexley
Del Webb, which specializes in building homes for age 55 and older communities, plans to build a gated community of 850 single-family, detached homes at Bexley.

Del Webb plans to build homes in an age 55 and older community at Bexley, in Land O’ Lakes. Here is a rendering of a Summerwood home that will be part of the Del Webb community.
(Courtesy of Del Webb)

Bexley is a master-planned community being developed by Newland Communities, off Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

Del Webb Bexley will begin construction in 2018 on about 490 acres. The subdivision will feature a 17,000-square-foot community center with a large gathering area, game and cards room, fitness and aerobic area, lockers and showers. Food and beverage concessions will offer beer, wine and light snacks.

A lifestyle director will plan events exclusively for Del Webb Bexley. Many of the homes will border open space, water or a natural preserve.

Bexley features about 1,200 acres of preserved open space, parks, and tree-lined streets. Residents can enjoy the Twisted Sprocket Café, and a planned bicycle shop for repairs and rentals. There are about 10 miles of multi-use Avid Trails as well as a planned connection to the nearby 42-mile Suncoast Trail.

For information, visit DelWebb.com/bexley.

New location for rotary club
The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel noon meets each week on Wednesdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m., in the clubhouse at Lexington Oaks Golf Club, at 26133 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Please note that this is a new meeting location.

For information, visit WCRotary.org.

Joint Chiropractic ribbon cutting
Joint Chiropractic will have a ribbon cutting June 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 19014 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

Central Pasco general meeting
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will have its general membership meeting on June 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Harbor Terrace Restaurant, at 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway, in Lutz.

Guest speaker will be Valerie Lundin, director of Special Olympics Florida-Pasco County.

Members and guests are welcome.

The cost is $20 for members who RSVP by June 8, and $25 at the door for members and non-members.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 909-2722 or .

Breakfast meeting
The East Pasco Networking Group will meet on June 13 at 7:30 a.m., at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

For information, contact Chairman Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491 or email , or Vice Chairwoman Vicky Jones at (813) 431-1149 or .

Wesley Chapel mixer
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly mixer June 15 at vomFASS Wiregrass, at 282249 Paseo Drive, Suite 110, in Wesley Chapel.

Enjoy fun, food and networking for free.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 907-3256 or .

Land O’ Lakes site aims to improve forensic research

By

Pasco County had a dedication ceremony for a 5-acre field that will be used to advance forensic research and aid in criminal investigations.

The “body farm” is next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41. A separate forensics and training facility also is being planned near the body farm site.

A monument sign was unveiled on May 12 at a dedication ceremony for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field. The ‘body farm’ is part of a project to build a forensics research and training center next to Pasco County’s jail.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

The field has been named the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field, in honor of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January.

His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

“There is so much bittersweet about this,” said Abigail Kennedy, the principal’s wife, as she spoke during a May 12 ceremony.

Officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Dr. Erin Kimmerle of the University of South Florida’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) also were there, as the sign for the field was unveiled.

Adam Kennedy wanted to leave his body to science, Abigail Kennedy said, noting that before her husband died, the couple had discussed possible options, including donating to a medical school.

She said her husband wanted to do something “dedicated to making people’s lives better.”

She contacted USF about the plans underway for the body farm and forensics facility to ask if her husband’s body could be the first donation.

“All I could think was this couldn’t be more perfect,” she said. “This is so cool. This is so Adam.”

The campus of the Florida Forensics Institute for Research & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., is expected to become a national and international hub for research in the field of forensic science.

The body farm and forensics facility will be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as a tool in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

The University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, opened the first facility of this type during the 1970s.

The former principal’s body will be buried and later exhumed for research.

So far, about 30 people have preregistered with USF for body donations.

Project partners include the sheriff’s office, Pasco County, Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensics building at F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the grave site at the Dozier school.

Pasco’s campus will include a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Other activities will focus on legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

About $200,000 in funding for this facility is being aided through a local campaign spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

State funds of about $4.3 million for the forensics and research facility are included in the 2018 budget approved by Florida legislators. But, as of The Laker/Lutz News’ publication deadline, Gov. Rick Scott had not yet decided whether to sign the budget bill.

Scott has expressed displeasure with the budget and could opt to use his line item veto, veto the education portion of the budget or veto the entire budget.

The project will go forward whatever the decision, according to sheriff’s office officials. If the appropriation isn’t approved this year, another request will be made in the 2019 state budget or other sources of money will be sought, they said.

Published May 31, 2017

Efforts to begin to ease area congestion

By

Traffic is a mess at the Interstate 75 interchange with State Road 56.

On the plus side, that’s an indicator that new development in the area is boosting Pasco County’s economy.

More of that development is on the way.

But, it’s putting more people and more vehicles on inadequate roads.

The diverging diamond interchange includes lanes that crisscross, fewer traffic signals and signage to help ease traffic congestion. This aerial shows this type of traffic pattern at such an interchange in Missouri.
(File)

A project set to start in 2018 is expected to help reduce the traffic snarls at the I-75/State Road 56 interchange.

“There are huge amounts of traffic being generated,” said Ryan Forrestel, principal at American Consulting Engineers.

A traffic analysis found that during daily rush hours, vehicles are backed up for 1 mile to 2½ miles.

Most motorists are waiting at traffic signals to make left turns onto I-75, or off of it.

During a May 23 session, Forrestel provided a timeline for the construction of a $24.1 million diverging diamond interchange that is expected to relieve traffic.

He made his remarks to a gathering of about 30 people, at an event hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at the Mercedes-Benz automobile dealership, off State Road 56.

The meeting was focused on providing information to owners and operators of area businesses.

“We want to make sure they are well-prepared for what is coming,” said Hope Allen, the chamber’s president.

The chamber’s website also will provide up-to-date information on the project as it becomes available.

The project, which at one time had a 2020 start date, now has a construction start date of fall 2018.

A traffic analysis by American Consulting Engineers found traffic at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange can back up 1 mile to 2½ miles during daily rush hours.

Design and planning are expected to be finished by January 2018, and construction bids are scheduled to go out in June 2018.

The project’s construction is expected to take 18 months to 36 months.

Pasco County’s diverging diamond will be Florida’s second.

Two weeks ago, Sarasota became the first to open a diverging diamond on I-75, at University Parkway.

Licia Tavalaiccio plans a visit to see her daughter who lives in Sarasota. While she’s there, she wants a first-hand experience of test driving a diverging diamond interchange.

“I’m excited to go down there and see how it actually flows,” she said.

Being informed about the interchange is also a necessity for the Realtor who works with clients looking to invest in Pasco County property and new businesses. “When they are coming into our area, traffic is going to affect their decisions to purchase in the area,” Tavalaiccio said.

The diverging diamond interchange accommodates multiple lanes of traffic that crisscross from one side to another, with limited traffic signals. Road signs and marked off lanes help direct motorists through the interchange.

Forrestel said no additional right of way will be needed for construction.

The bridge that crosses I-75 won’t be widened, he said, but it will be redesigned to handle traffic coming to and from the I-75 ramps.

Additional lanes will be added to the ramps along with road signs and lane markers. Speed limits will drop to 35 mph on the approach to the interchange.

With fewer traffic signals, Forrestel said, “All turns are free flowing, to the right or to the left.”

In fact, he added, the diverging diamond works best where signalized left-turns dominate. “In other places, they are terrible solutions.”

Supporters of the design say it eases congestion, prevents wrong-way entry onto ramps and reduces crashes.

No daytime lane closures are planned. However, lanes will be shifted to accommodate construction, said Forrestel.

There will be some lane closures at night, he added.

The first phase of construction likely will be the installation of retaining walls surrounding the interchange. They will vary in height from 5 feet to 30 feet.

The completion of construction can’t come soon enough for area business owners.

Britt Young, franchise owner of Chick-fil-A, which fronts State Road 56 by Tampa Premium Outlets, said even employees who live nearby report 20-minute commutes simply to get across I-75.

He hopes the diverging diamond is the right solution.

“We need the flow of traffic to move,” Young said. “It allows for growth on both sides of the interstate. Economically, it’s what we all want.”

Published May 31, 2017

Wiregrass sports complex expected to open in 2019

By

The Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County could be open as soon as spring 2019, Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports said last week.

The sports management and development company anticipates finalizing agreements with Pasco County by August. The construction of the 98,000-square-foot indoor sports complex is expected to take 18 months, though Blalock is hopeful it can be done within 14 months.

Richard Blalock, chief executive officer of RADD Sports
(File)

Blalock and Anthony Homer, the company’s vice president of development, gave an update on the project at the monthly economic briefing luncheon hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce on May 25.

Work already is underway to line up events, sports leagues and coaches for a facility that will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center, Blalock said.

Weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county, he said.

“We’re not sitting back waiting,” he said. “We’re in the community actively engaging. When the doors open, we want to be running and generating,” Blalock added.

For instance, Blalock plans to meet with the head coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The focus will be on involving youth from the community in as many sporting opportunities as possible, he said.

A minor league system for youth ages 9 through 18 will be organized for cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, soccer and lacrosse. Participants will be required to maintain a minimum of a 2.0 grade average.

A prep level will be available for youths, ages 5 through 8.

But, sports won’t be the only skill taught.

“We want to develop these kids not only as athletes, but as citizens,” Blalock said.

For youth that don’t want to actively participate in a sport, Blalock said they would have opportunities to join a Coach’s Club or Elite Manager’s Club, to learn skills such as scorekeeping, officiating and team management.

For elite athletes who are being recruited, RADD Sports will help with media technology, such as webcasts, to showcase their talents.

The Pasco County Commission agreed in April to negotiate with RADD Sports for the $25 million sports complex. About $15 million to $17 million in funding will be from a bank loan, secured with a proposed 2 percent increase in the county’s tourism tax. Nearly $11 million is from previously pledged tourism dollars, and sales tax revenues.

County commissioners must approve an ordinance to increase the tourism tax.

Projections for sports events and revenues include:

  • 27,000 visitors per night per year
  • 12,000 visitors who come for the day
  • $6.5 million annual economic impact
  • $8 million or more in sales and use taxes in 10 years (not including tourism tax)

Over 10 years, RADD Sports officials project $100 million in accumulated direct economic impact for the county.

The facility will be able to host sporting and recreational activities, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, wrestling, gymnastics, curling and badminton.

Plans also call for seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground.

An $18.5 million, 120-room hotel is planned on land donated years ago by the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch and The Shops at Wiregrass.

Sports tourism is proving to be a successful generator of revenues for local communities, Homer said.

On average, each visitor spends about $208 a day, he said.

There is a multiplier effect, however, when families come together to youth sports events. “They make a whole weekend out of it,” Homer said.

RADD Sports plans to follow the Disney model for sports event registrations. The hotel room is part of the registration process, he said.

And, when the on-site hotel is full, other area hotels are included, Homer added.

RADD Sports wants to create a “constant churn” of events. “We want them to come back, six, seven, eight times a year,” he said.

Published May 31, 2017

Business Digest 05/31/2017

By

Ashton Woods development
Ashton Woods is launching a new phase of development at Asturia, with new home sites that feature the homebuilder’s Heritage Series product, according to a news release.

Ashton Woods is offering new home plans in the next phase of development for Asturia, which is off State Road 54. (Courtesy of Ashton Woods)

Ashton Woods is offering six home plans in this new phase, ranging from more than 1,800 square feet to more than 2,600 square feet of living space. Prices start in the high $200,000s.

The homes are one- and two-story, with a great room plan and adjoining family room, and island kitchen with ceramic tile flooring designer cabinetry and granite countertops.

Asturia is located on State Road 54, with easy access to Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, U.S. 19 and Interstate 75.

Amenities at Asturia include parks, green spaces, trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a community center with a resort-style pool and fitness center.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/lfnw6bj.

Zephyrhills chamber breakfast
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce will have its monthly business breakfast June 1 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at 6855 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Guest speaker will be Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director.

Sponsors are Mike Prilliman of Berkshire Hathaway and Sealander Contractor Services Inc.-Aquarius Commercial Plumbing.

The cost is $8 for chamber members and $10 for non-members.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 782-1913 or .

Mystic Oaks dentistry opens
Mystic Oaks Family & Cosmetic Dentistry will have a ribbon cutting June 5 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., at 3751 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Join Dr. Prematee Sarwan, her family and staff for an open house celebration.

Services include Invisalign, Botox, dermal fillers and same-day emergency visits. Free consultations, CareCredit financing and in-office dental plans are available.

For information, contact The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

Herbal Kitchen opens
Herbal Kitchen had a ribbon cutting May 12, at 38330 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Its mission is to provide an awareness of holistic living through the use of herbs and food, according to the Herbal Kitchen Facebook page.

Herbal teas and tea blends, aromatherapy sprays, bath and body, flower essence and baby products are available.

For information, visit the Facebook page for the Herbal Kitchen, the website at HerbalKitchen.net, or call (813) 713-3029.

Networking breakfast
The Wednesday Morning Network Group will meet June 7 at 7:30 a.m., at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, at 3116 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. Each attendee will be able to present a 30-second pitch. The cost is $10 for members and non-members at the door.

The United Way of Pasco County is the sponsor.

Register online at CentralPascoChamber.com.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 909-2722 or .

Pure Bliss ribbon cutting
Pure Bliss Cleaning will have a ribbon cutting June 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 6013 Wesley Chapel Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

Joint Chiropractic ribbon cutting
Joint Chiropractic will have a ribbon cutting June 8, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 19014 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For information, contact The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at (813) 994-8534 or .

North Tampa meeting
The North Tampa Chamber of Commerce will have a general meeting June 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Iavarone’s Steakhouse & Italian Grill, 3627 Humphrey St., in Tampa.

The guest speaker is Ryan Sullivan of the Tampa Bay Rays.

For early bird registration, RSVP online with credit card or to the chamber office at by 5 p.m., on June 6, at the discounted rate of $20 (whether you eat or not). After that date, the cost is $25 (whether you eat or not), payable at the door by cash, check or credit card.

For information, call the chamber office at (813) 563-0180, or visit NorthTampaChamber.com.

Widening project of State Road 52 at Interstate 75 nears end

By

Nearly three years after dirt began flying, a $72.6 million project to widen State Road 52 and Interstate 75 is heading into its final phase.

Completion is expected in summer 2017.

A stop sign sits outside one of the exits from the Flying J truck stop, where workers are widening State Road 52. (Fred Bellet)

Motorists have learned to navigate through construction cones, barricades and lane shifts — heading north or south on I-75, or east and west on two-lane State Road 52.

Traffic flow has slowed, and sometimes halted, as construction workers twirled their signs signaling lines of motorists to go “slow” or “stop.”

Construction work has greeted residents entering and leaving the Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club on a daily basis.

Amid the passenger vehicles, a steady stream of 18-wheelers rolled in and out of the Flying J truck stop, just east of I-75.

It became a routine of the daily commute.

The work began in May 2014.

This view looks west along State Road 52, in Pasco County, where work is continuing to widen the state highway and Interstate 75, at the interchange near the Flying J truck stop.

The state department of transportation tried to minimize the impact to traffic by having road crews work at night, and scheduling lane closures after 9 p.m.

“We will have added capacity to allow the traffic to flow better,” said John McShaffrey, a transportation department spokesman. “We’ve already seen that.”

Part of the project is to redesign the interchange.

In March, FDOT opened a loop ramp for westbound traffic on State Road 52, heading south on I-75.

Ramp intersections will have traffic signals to aid motorists who are entering and exiting I-75.

In 2016, southbound traffic onto I-75 from State Road 52 logged about 8,300 vehicles per day. Northbound there were about 3,000 vehicles a day, according to FDOT data on Annual Average Daily Traffic counts.

Motorists navigate through construction around the southbound exit ramp at Interstate 75 at State Road 52.

The same traffic report showed about 60,000 vehicles per day traveling I-75 between County Road 54 and State Road 52; and 40,000 per day between State Road 52 and County Road 41.

The FDOT project will widen about 7 miles of I-75 from four lanes to six lanes, with three lanes in each direction.  The work stretches from north of County Road 54 to north of State Road 52.

About 1 ½ miles of State Road 52 will be widened from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Old Pasco Road to east of Corporate Lake Boulevard.

In addition, frontage roads will be built on the northbound and southbound sides of State Road 52, west of I-75.

The project also includes on-street bicycle lanes and 10-foot sidewalks.

Published May 24, 2017

Fleet of school buses to use alternative fuel

By

Pasco County Schools is making history with a new, fast-fill station and a fleet of buses that runs on alternative fuel.

Emmett Thompson, the school district’s transportation maintenance supervisor, fuels a truck with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The school district, in partnership with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas System, is the first in Florida to own and operate a compressed natural gas (CNG) station to fuel its growing fleet of CNG buses.

By the end of the 2018 school year, school officials estimate the district will own 65 buses that operate on natural gas, rather than diesel or gasoline.

The fueling station, along with a new bus garage, is on about 24 acres at 13101 Interlaken Road in Odessa.

School officials, school board members and representatives with Integral Energy and Clearwater Gas celebrated the occasion with a ribbon cutting on May 16.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools, center, cuts the ribbon at the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling station as Chuck Warrington, left, of Clearwater Gas, and State Sen. Wilton Simpson watch

Guests at the event toured the buses and the fuel processing plant. The J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band entertained.

The alternative fuel is expected to offer several benefits, including reduced vehicle noise, cleaner emissions and cost efficiency.

“We’ve tried to be good stewards of our natural resources,” said Kurt Browning, the district’s superintendent.

Each bus is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20,000 pounds a year, school officials said. Compared to clean diesel buses, they said the CNG buses would produce 13 percent less greenhouse gas, 95 percent less nitrogen oxide and 80 percent less hydrocarbon.

The CNG station can fuel a bus within 3 minutes and can pump out the equivalent of more than 10,500 gasoline gallons a day.

Members of the J.W. Mitchell High School jazz band performed at the ribbon cutting for the new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station.

It also is a state-of-the-art facility with more than 10,000 linear feet of electrical conduit buried underground. More than 50 cubic yards of concrete encase those conduits; and, each CNG storage vessel weighs more than 6,500 pounds. All of the compression equipment was American-manufactured.

Ray Gadd, the school district’s deputy superintendent, said discussion about the CNG station and using the alternative fuel began nearly six years ago.

He and other school district staff members helped shepherd the project to its completion. State Sen. Wilton Simpson sponsored a bill to create a state rebate program that can reimburse the county up to $25,000 for the cost of each bus.

In the past three years, the school district began buying new buses that run on alternative fuel.

Plans are to continue buying about 35 buses a year eventually replacing much of the school’s aging fleet of more than 450 buses. The shift will reduce reliance on gasoline and diesel-burning fuels in favor of natural gas, which burns cleaner and emits fewer toxins.

Published May 24, 2017

Business Digest 05/24/2017

By

Women-n-Charge awards grants
Women-n-Charge awarded two $1,000 grants to Anna Marie Orlando, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office; and Barbara Keithly, owner of Magnolia Manor Assisted Living, according to a news release from the organization.

The group’s mission is to support and assist professional women in managing businesses more effectively.

Orlando is a volunteer chaplain at the sheriff’s office and coordinator of the annual Light Up the Night Human Trafficking Awareness Concert Event. She plans to use the grant to hire an event coordinator to help with the event, and give others more time to focus on the mission to eradicate human trafficking.

Keithly provides care to 53 residents at Magnolia Manor. The grant will help purchase new kitchen equipment, including a convection oven, soda machine and steam table.

For information, visit LightUpTheNightTampaBay.com, and MagnoliaManorALF.com. Judges for the grant program were Paula O’ Neill, Pasco County Clerk of Court & Comptroller; Lora Shipman, founder and chief executive officer of Keep It Local; and, Brenda Cassato, founder of Senior Information Resources.

Women-n-Charge meets the first Friday of the month at Pebble Creek Country Club in Tampa from 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.

For information, visits Women-n-Charge.com.

 

Audi Wesley Chapel groundbreaking
Dimmitt Automotive Group broke ground May 22 on a new, state-of-the-art Audi dealership, at 2500 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, according to a news release from the company.

The luxury, 40,000-square-foot car dealership is described as Audi’s “most innovative retail experience,” with open-area shopping in a “modern art” building.

Audi Wesley Chapel is expected to open in fall 2017.

Customers can view Audi automobiles in the showroom, check out information on iPads and relax in leather club chairs in a luxury lounge.

Audi Wesley Chapel is the latest addition to Dimmitt Automotive Group’s portfolio, which already features Cadillac, Land Rover, Jaguar, Toyota, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and McLaren dealerships.

Hold-Thyssen negotiates lease
Hold-Thyssen Inc., a full service real estate firm, negotiated a five-year lease renewal with Lee’s Hair Salon, according to a news release from the firm.

The salon occupies about 900 square feet at Morningside Plaza, a retail center at 12624 U.S. 301 in Dade City. Hold-Thyssen represented the landlord in leasing negotiations.

Hold-Thyssen is a 40-year-old firm with headquarters in Winter Park and offices in Clearwater. The firm provides commercial property brokerage, leasing and management services to institutional and private investor clients nationwide. Its portfolio includes more than 100 commercial properties across the country.

Pasco economic development briefing
The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly economic development briefing luncheon May 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Pebble Creek Golf & Country Club, at 10550 Regents Park Drive.

Guest speaker will be Richard Blalock, chief executive officer and founder of RADD SPORTS. Blalock will give an update on the planned Wiregrass sports complex in Wesley Chapel.

The cost is $15 including lunch.

For information, contact the chamber at (813) 994-8534 or .

Schooley Mitchell ribbon cutting
Schooley Mitchell, a communications company, will have a ribbon cutting May 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Fifth Third Bank, at 1122 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Refreshments will be served, along with beer from the Tampa Bay Brewing Company.

For information, contact the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (813) 909-2722 or .

Dr. Bee opens dental office
Dr. Bee Pediatric Dentistry will have a ribbon cutting May 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 6935 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

For information, call Dr. Bee’s office at (813)530-3300 or the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce office at (813) 909-2722.